WASHINGTON 鈥� The best movie premises are often right under our noses.
Pixar’s “Toy Story” (1995) made history by asking: what do our toys do when we leave the room?
Now, “The Secret Life of Pets” asks a similar question: what do our pets do when we’re not around?
Such is the premise of the听fifth feature animated film by Illumination Entertainment and Universal Pictures, co-directed by听Chris Renaud (“Despicable Me”)听and his former production designer Yarrow Cheney with听a screenplay co-written by Brian Lynch, Cinco Paul and Ken Daurio (“Minions”).
Set in New York City,听“Pets” follows a playful Jack Russell Terrier named听Max (Louis C.K.), who can’t understand where his owner Katie (Ellie Kemper) goes every day when she leaves for work. He passes the time with his neighboring pet pals听Chloe (Lake Bell),听Mel (Bobby Moynihan), Buddy (Hannibal Buress),听Sweet Pea (Tara Strong) and Gidget听(Jenny Slate), who has the hots for Max.
But this daily routine is suddenly interrupted when听Katie听adopts a giant stray Newfoundland named Duke (Eric Stonestreet), who barges into the home and romps around like he owns the place. An “alpha dog” rivalry ensues, sending Max and Duke out of the apartment on a Manhattan adventure.
From the start, the most听pleasant surprise is how wonderfully “New York” the movie is,听romanticizing the Big Apple as a magical urban landscape with sprawling greenery in Central Park and larger-than-life听skyscrapers听connected by a network of clothes lines and fire escapes 鈥� all set to Taylor Swift.
This makes New York native听Louis C.K. perfect for the lead, providing the most street cred since听Billy Joel sang “Why Should I Worry” in “Oliver & Company” (1988). It may be a few years听before kids can watch his genius听FX comedy “Louie,” but it’s a fine introduction to one of our听most gifted comedians.
While Mr. C.K. is instantly recognizable, it may take you听longer to guess the voice of Duke (Eric Stonestreet,听“Modern Family”), but the celebrity guessing game has become part of the fun of these animated flicks. Listen for听Dana Carvey as a听wheelchair-bound dog named Pops and Albert Brooks as a rooftop hawk named Tiberius who’s far more cunning than his clownfish in听“Finding Dory” (2016).
Stealing the show, however, is the hilarious Kevin Hart as a sewer-dwelling rabbit named Snowball, who’s built an army of stray animals in a rebellion against the human race. Spitting fire like Chris Rock, Hart recalls the killer bunny in “Monty Python and the Holy Grail” (1975), appearing cute and cuddly on the outside, while remaining absolutely vicious on the inside. Don’t let those bunny ears fool ya.
While Snowball is a great individual character, he is slightly听misused. If there’s something that “Pets” lacks it’s a clear antagonist. At first, the villain appears to be Ozone the Alley Cat (Steve Coogan), whose fellow felines fling intruders around like King Louie’s monkeys in “The Jungle Book” (1967). From there, the heel becomes听Snowball and his revolutionary听sewer dwellers, before finally settling on the听dog catchers, who pop听up听with frustrating irregularity. Will the real foe please stand up?
This lack of focus is symptomatic of a hyperactive Act Two that tries to do way too much as it zigs and zags across the city, from Manhattan to Brooklyn.听There are times we wish the screenwriters would dial it back, instead of throwing every possible obstacle in their way with relentless twists and turns that even include a daydream at a听hot dog factory set to “We Go Together” from “Grease” (1978).
Yes, really. Wah-oooh, yeah.
After the appealing trailers of poodles rocking out to heavy metal, we yearn to see听more of what our pets do at home when we’re not around. Instead, these domestic antics are all crammed into the first 10 minutes before veering into a听high-octane chase听across town, at which point the tail wags the dog in a direction that is often way too dark for young kids — especially once we dive down into the sewer.
The cause of this shift in trajectory is, of course, the catalyst of Duke’s arrival, which instantly costs “Pets” some听originality points compared to a true trendsetter like “Toy Story.” Indeed, Duke’s arrival into Katie’s apartment听is just like Buzz Lightyear’s arrival into Andy’s toy room, causing Max the same kind of jealousy as Woody in their fear of being replaced (minus the tear-jerking Randy Newman).
But while Max & Duke never quite reach the听“buddy听team” level of Buzz & Woody, their camaraderie is at least on par with听Burt Reynolds and Dom DeLuise singing听“You Can’t Keep a Good Dog Down” in “All Dogs Go to Heaven” (1989). You root for their ultimate friendship, even if you know it’s coming.
In the end, it’s impossible not to听find “The Secret Life of Pets” amusing. It may not be exactly what the trailers promised,听but the topic is so endearing听that it can’t help but tug at your听heartstrings. Anyone who’s ever听loved听a pet will leave with a warm smile and maybe, just maybe, adopt a new best friend.
